Just Some Water Tribe Ingenuity
by Casa Circe
Summary: Post Boiling Rock. Hakoda observes the chemistry between his daughter and a certain Fire Prince. So the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe decides to be a little "manipulative." Completed. For "Zutara Week". Inspired by "Much Ado About Nothing."
1. Chapter 1

An Alliance of Traitors

**Just Some Water Tribe Ingenuity**

_Disclaimer: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is not mine. That is that._

_Note: Set after "The Boiling Rock."_

**--**

Hakoda of the Water Tribe was a very perceptive man.

This talent of his occasionally got him into trouble but for the most part, it served him well.

Today, for instance, he was making good use of his powers of perception as he observed two members of the group engaged in (another) heated argument. But being the wise and experienced adult that he was, Hakoda knew that there was more to this interaction than meets the eye. It also helped that one of the persons involved was his very own daughter, who was now in the middle of a dispute with the prince of the Fire Nation.

If someone told him a few weeks ago that Katara and Sokka were living under the same roof as the son of the Fire Lord, he would not have believed it. But ever since he had been rescued by Sokka and Zuko from the Boiling Rock, he saw the latter in a very different light. And after much consideration and observation, Hakoda had concluded that he approved of the young man. It was strange to drop one's prejudices towards one's sworn enemy but Zuko had proven himself more than trustworthy and dependable. He was a skilled and patient firebending teacher to Aang and a good friend to Sokka and the others. More importantly, Hakoda thought, Zuko seemed a perfect match for Katara.

He couldn't help it. Hakoda's paternal instincts had flared up again. He already (more than) approved of Suki for Sokka and he had already welcomed her into the family. It seemed that he was only waiting for someone for Katara in order for the family to be complete again. And seeing the obvious chemistry between his daughter and the prince, he knew that his wish would soon be fulfilled.

Nevertheless, as Hakoda watched the firebender and waterbender trading verbal blows with one another, he knew that it would take quite a while before either of them would admit their feelings for one another. And although he usually wasn't one to meddle in other people's affairs, Hakoda decided to take the matter into his own hands.

Sokka,carrying a bunch of scrolls, walked towards his father, shaking his head as he looked towards Zuko and Katara.

"Here we go again," Aang commented with a sigh, joining the father and son.

"It's two weeks before the comet and they still can't get along," Sokka complained.

Soon, the others had joined Hakoda in watching and shaking their heads over Zuko Katara. Hakoda smiled at their reactions and decided to initiate his plan.

"At the rate they're going," the chief began, "they're practically married."

Everyone there turned to him incredulously, wide-eyed, jaws dropped. The two being talked about continued their spat, oblivious to their companions' reactions. Sokka, Aang, and the others were now suppressing giggles, their glances passing from Hakoda's calm countenance to Zuko and Katara's intensity.

Chit Sang motioned for them to move to another area of the temple so as not to be noticed by Zuko or Katara, who continued their squabbling.

Once they were out of the two benders' earshot, everyone simply burst into a fit of loud laughter, echoing across the halls of the ancient temple. The very notion of Zuko and Katar getting together seemed absolutely ludicrous. But interesting, as well.

"No way," Sokka finally said, "they'd murder each other a week after the wedding."

"Even in the Avatar state," Aang said with a chuckle, "I wouldn't be able to restore peace with those two."

The others expressed similar reactions and there was a general consensus that Zuko and Katara would have a catastrophic marriage. And yet, they were all greatly curious about how those two would act if they (finally) realized that they were in love with one another.

"I wonder," Suki said, "how we could possibly bring those two together?"

"They're both still in denial," Toph added, for she had known (through her advanced senses) of Zuko and Katara's feelings long before even those two did.

"I have a plan to speed things up," Hakoda said finally, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"I'm up for a challenge," Haru said enthusiastically.

"Sure, why not?" Teo agreed.

"We've been training so hard these past few weeks," Aang said, "maybe it's time for a little entertainment."

"Well," Sokka added, catching his dad's drift, "we still have two weeks before the comet arrives."

Hakoda gathered everyone into a huddle and said, "And I assure you, time will not go dully by us."


	2. Chapter 2

An Alliance of Traitors

**Just Some Water Tribe Ingenuity**

_Disclaimer: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is not mine. That is that._

_Note: Set after "The Boiling Rock."_

**--**

Zuko had just finished his routine morning exercises and was taking a stroll around his favorite spot in the Western Air Temple. He had unofficially claimed this area as his private refuge, away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the Avatar's group. He loved the almost divine atmosphere and came here to train on his own and to think.

The ancient sacred grounds seemed unusually quiet today and the place looked as deserted as it had been when he had first come here three years ago. He surveyed his surroundings and was puzzled at the strange silence. Although he enjoyed a little peace and quiet every now and then, he also felt so alone in such a calm atmosphere. Alone and suspicious.

Cautiously, the firebender walked along the sacred halls of the ancient refuge, his eyes darting here and there, wary and alert for the slightest movement. It wasn't that early in the morning any more but there were hardly any stirrings or movements from anyone around. Surely they were not under attack. He entered one of the stone hallways and listened intently for any slightest noise.

As Zuko walked past several of the ancient pillars, little did he know that he was being watched. Seeing that Zuko was right where he was expected to be, the Duke ran to alert the others. So by the time Zuko was about to turn the corner to the main training area, the trap had been set.

"Hey, Dad," Zuko heard Sokka saying, "you have got hear this."

"What is it, Sokka?" Hakoda asked innocently.

Hearing the normal sounds of conversation from some of the menfolk, Zuko felt relieved and was eagerly about to join them when he heard something that stopped him in his tracks.

"Katara's in love with Zuko!" the Water Tribe chief said loudly.

Instantly, the firebender in question hid behind one of the pillars, leaning back against the sturdy stone, eyes wide with shock and with one hand covering his mouth, smothering a loud gasp. Chit Sang, Teo, and the other men snickered at this reaction. Aang was not with them as he had excused himself saying something about doing more training with Toph and Katara. Haru could see one edge of Zuko's boot sticking out from behind the pillar and he whispered to Sokka and Hakoda.

"Bait the hook well," the earthbender said, "this fish will bite."

Sokka and Hakoda nodded at each other before continuing their conversation.

"I've seen Katara fall in love before," Sokka said loudly, "but I never ever imagined that she would fall for Zuko."

"All I've ever seen her do," Teo observed, "is either argue with him or give him the cold shoulder."

"But that's what girls are like when they like someone," Chit Sang said knowledgeably, "they act as if they don't."

"How can you even be sure about this?" Haru asked Sokka.

"One day, I confronted her about her attitude towards Zuko," Sokka explained, "and it was then that she spilled the beans."

"What exactly did she say, Sokka?" Hakoda said loudly. At this Sokka motioned for the others to huddle up while he whispered something to them. From his place behind the pillar, Zuko craned his neck and tried to hear what they were saying but he simply couldn't do so without the risk of being caught.

Chit Sang, Teo, Haru, and Hakoda got out of the huddle with surprised grins.

"Really?" Haru said emphatically, "she said that?"

"Mm-hm," Sokka replied knowingly, "every word."

"Seems like she was hit hard," Chit Sang said with a whistle.

"It sounds really serious," Teo added.

Zuko was now exceedingly curious about what they had heard and only wished that he could join the conversation. But of course, this was impossible so he would have to content himself with whatever he would overhear.

"I think that she should tell him how she feels," Hakoda said, "instead of acting like she hates him."

"That's what I told her too, Dad," Sokka explained in a slightly saddened tone, "but she refused."

"But why?" the others asked and even Zuko had been tempted to voice his thoughts. But he restrained himself and continued listening.

"She is afraid that he would reject her," Sokka explained with a sad sigh, "no matter what I said to convince her that telling Zuko would be a good idea, she never gave in."

"Maybe she's just not ready," Teo surmised, "and she needs more time to figure things out."

"That's what I thought too," Sokka answered, "but she told me that she will never ever tell Zuko about her feelings for him. It was just too hard for her."

"Maybe she feels guilty about the way she's been treating him and thinks that he might be angry at her for that," Hakoda observed, "but I know that Zuko doesn't hold a grudge against her."

"Yeah, but how do you know that Zuko would reciprocate those feelings?" Chit Sang added.

"You have a point," Sokka agreed, "even if he rejects her gently, it would still hurt her."

"I don't want to see Katara in pain," Hakoda added seriously.

From behind the pillar, Zuko bowed his head, deep in thought. At first it had seemed like this whole discussion was some sort of practical joke. But he didn't doubt its truth anymore since Hakoda was involved. The young firebender had a great respect for the Water Tribe chief.

"Why don't we tell him about it?" Teo suggested, "because maybe he does reciprocate those feelings and is similarly afraid to admit it."

"That's not a risk I'm willing to take," Hakoda replied gravely, "I believe that if he hasn't shown Katara any manifestations of feelings deeper than friendship by now, then perhaps there's nothing more to it."

"Katara's a great girl," Haru said, beginning to enumerate her positive qualities, "she's smart, beautiful, and strong. If he hasn't noticed that by now, then, he is a fool."

"I like Zuko well enough," Sokka said, "but if he hasn't realized just how wonderful my sister is, although she can get scary sometimes, then maybe he doesn't deserve Katara."

The other men there nodded in agreement. From the corner of his eye, Chit Sang spotted where Zuko was hiding, his brow furrowed, and his face filled with a familiar emotion. The old firebender winked at his accomplices and they realized their cue.

"Anyway," Sokka announced, "I think we've talked enough about those two. I have a craving for meat. Want to go hunting, guys?"

"Sure," everyone answered before leaving the hall, suppressing their laughter.

Zuko stepped out into empty hall, and pondered over all that he had heard. It was almost impossible to believe. But he could not deny that he was wide awake, that this was not some crazy, fatigue-induced dream. He had heard it himself. Katara was in love with him.

As for the question on whether he felt the same, Zuko thought long and hard. He completely agreed with them on Katara's list of virtues. She was beautiful, no doubt about it, and she had the deepest and most penetrating gaze he had ever seen. Of her strength and prowess in battle, he had no doubt. After all, she was a master waterbender. He admired her courage and conviction and her willingness to fight for what she believed in. He admired her sense of responsibility towards them and all her efforts to keep things together. She was smart as well although loving him might not have been one of her wisest decisions, he now knew that such a love was precious and beautiful and that he wanted it too.

The more he thought about it, the more Zuko realized the existence and intensity of his feelings for the waterbender. He had always admired and respected her for her abilities and achievements in keeping the whole group in order. And he had always valued her opinions on various matters although he had yet to admit this out loud. And they had constantly argued with one another because she had been reluctant to trust him and he was determined to gain her trust because, among all the people he had to make amends to, it was her opinion of him that mattered the most to Zuko.

More than he had realized, he had often found himself thinking about her and about how he could possibly earn back her trust. He had often imagined what it would be like for her to finally see him as a true ally of the Avatar. And as he recalled everything that they had been through, Zuko remembered that when he had decided to finally join the Avatar, something inside him had hoped, beyond hope, that Katara would forgive him and welcome him with open arms. This had been an illusion, of course, but a very revelatory one.

There had been something missing in him that had been partially filled when he had joined the Avatar. At first, he had thought that it was the fulfillment of his destiny which would close the gap but even with the Avatar's group, he had felt uneasy and incomplete. There had always been someone, a face which had haunted him, and continued to haunt his dreams and he had spent many a night tossing and turning, trying hardest to remember who it was who tormented his heart and soul so much. And now, he knew.

He had been held back by hesitation, doubt, and stupid uncertainty from admitting his heart's desire, even to himself. He had been a blind fool. But now that he knew there truly was hope and a chance to finally be complete, Zuko knew that he would have to act decisively and with initiative if he was ever going to resolve this crisis. The firebender turned his thoughts to the waterbender once more, a smile coming to his face. He would put them both out of their agony.

He would make things right.

_--_

_Note: I have about two more chapters planned for this but there's no way that I'll be able to finish them before the finale (partly because I'm so looking forward to it in a mixed-emotions way). But have no fear, I will finish this story. I don't like leaving anything hanging. But I'll totally understand if you lose interest after the canon finale. And I'd like to say thank you in advance to those who will still read this after Avatar has ended. Thank you._


	3. Chapter 3

**Just Some Water Tribe Ingenuity**

_Disclaimer: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is not mine. That is that. And at this juncture, I might as well say that I do not own William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." This is not a direct imitation of that lovely play, but the plot pretty much pays homage to it. You know where my inspiration came from._

_Note: Set after "The Boiling Rock." I know. It's been AGES since I updated and I honestly didn't think people would like it so much. So sorry for the delay and I promise that the rest of the story will not take so long to be completed. I assure you that the updates will be coming a lot sooner so I hope you don't lose interest._

_I will say that I had devoted my limited free time to finishing my other story, "An Alliance of Traitors", so I was lax with this one. Thank you so much to all those who reviewed. Here is a longer update, hopefully to somehow make up for the delay. _

_Belated happy new year to you all! Don't worry, though, this is on top of my priority list now and I hope you all enjoy it. Again, please leave a review so I know what aspects I still have to improve on! Thank you so much!_

**--**

Katara narrowed her blue eyes and twitched her fingers expertly as she practiced a new waterbending technique. The water cascading down the center of the Western Air Temple now fell under her control and with a few fluid movements; the master waterbender was manipulating the flow of the liquid. As she practiced her movements, Katara smiled with satisfaction.

For a moment everything seemed to be in perfect balance, the place was still, there was a sense of peace that came over her, as well as a sense of gratification. It was an invigorating experience.

But all at once, this idyll was shattered when a certain firebender's face flashed through Katara's mind. How dare he interrupt her thoughts so unexpectedly? Although it wasn't really Zuko's fault that his face bubbled up in her subconscious. She was angry at the confusion she felt but attributed her conflicted emotions to an intense dislike. She didn't know any better. After all, that face was a constant reminder of betrayal in Ba Sing Se.

The waterbender frowned at the memory and in an instant, the globe of water she had suspended above her head turned into a menacing whip.

"Katara?"

Instead of replying, she merely whirled around and aimed a water whip at the new arrival. Her opponent, however, was ready for her and easily deflected her attack, controlling the water on his own and mimicking the new technique. Katara put her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. Aang's speed at learning new techniques never ceased to amaze her.

Of course she was no longer jealous of his astounding talent. She had long accepted this ability of Aang's and she always tried to encourage him to hone his skills and to learn new techniques.

Having finished the impromptu lesson, student and teacher made respectful bows to one another before smiling and beginning friendly conversation with one another. The others were busy in various parts of the Western Air Temple and sometimes it seemed that there was rarely any time to take a break. Moments like these were refreshing and Katara enjoyed the occasional distraction.

"So what brings you to this part of the temple, Aang?" Katara asked her friend with a smile.

"Nothing much," Aang replied, "I took a break from training and decided to look for you."

"And how sure are you that I'm gonna give you a break?" she teased.

Aang merely laughed back. He then remembered why he had sought Katara out in the first place. The Avatar was well aware of Hakoda and the others' plans of bringing Katara and Zuko together and though he had not openly expressed his displeasure at it, he was uncomfortable with the idea and wished to thwart their efforts as much as he could.

It wasn't in Aang's nature to be this intrusive but he had somehow felt that there was something at stake here which he needed to protect. And maybe he had not learned to really let Katara go, even after all this time.

"Actually there was something I meant to tell you," the young airbender said after a short pause.

"What is it?" Katara asked, slightly worried by the shift in tone.

"Well," Aang began, scratching his head, not knowing quite how to begin, "you know how we have so many preparations to make, right?"

"How can I possibly forget?" Katara replied sarcastically, "so why are you so worried?"

"I'm not really worried," Aang replied hastily, "it's just that, since everyone's so restless and anxious right now, the others have started, well, talking."

"I don't see anything wrong with that," Katara said, slightly perplexed and wondering what Aang was getting at, "you know, people do have a tendency of doing that."

"Well, no," Aang added, "but, you know how some people can exaggerate when they gossip. So I just want to warn you not to believe all that you hear around here. People are just bored, that's all."

"Okay?" Katara answered, raising her eyebrow, "thanks for the warning, I guess. But you don't really have to worry about me, Aang. I'm not bothered by things like that."

"I sincerely hope so," Aang muttered to himself. But before he and Katara could continue their conversation, it was interrupted by the arrival of his firebending teacher.

"And what do you think you're doing, taking such a long break from your firebending?" Zuko scolded as he approached the Avatar. Upon seeing Katara, the firebender fell silent and kept his distance, his golden eyes fixing their unreadable gaze on her face. Katara glared back at him, not hiding her displeasure.

"Sorry, Sifu Hotman," Aang apologized as he ran towards his teacher to resume their training.

"Stop calling me that," Zuko muttered, careful to keep his tone down in Katara's presence.

Aang grinned back and waved at Katara as he ran back to the training area. Zuko turned to go as well but before doing so, he gave Katara a quick but significant glance. Once more, she simply returned his gaze with a spiteful glare. He turned away and followed his pupil.

Katara frowned. Zuko had been acting very strange lately and it was making her worry and wonder. For one thing, he no longer retaliated whenever she would show him any hostility. He would only remain silent as she launched her tirades and then would affix her with that same, grave, unreadable gaze. Being so perplexed about this only infuriated her more. What did he mean by staring at her so intently like that?

She could also sometimes sense that he was carefully watching her. And yet, not in a disturbing, creepy way. Just in a quiet, grave way, almost as if he was admiring her movements. Sensing his observation would sometimes make her skin crawl but she shrugged this off as disgust. But deep inside, she knew that there was more to it.

Nevertheless, she did not want to dwell any longer on Zuko's puzzling behavior. She decided to continue her training with no more unwanted and unexpected interruptions. But after several failed attempts at inventing new techniques, she knew her limit was reached and she decided to take a break. Wiping, or rather, bending sweat off her brow, Katara sat on a nearby stone bench. She was tired but satisfied with her performance and felt that she had achieved much for one day.

Suddenly, the reverent silence of the temple was broken by the sound of laughter coming from one side of the temple. Recognizing Toph and Suki's voices, Katara smiled and decided to join the other two girls in their merrymaking.

--

Meanwhile, Toph had a large grin on her face.

"She fell for it," Suki whispered mischievously.

"Of course she did," Toph replied, "Sugar Queen doesn't like being left out of things though she'll never admit that."

"I think we may begin our performance now," Suki whispered again, trying to contain her laughter.

"Perfect," Toph answered with a wider grin, placing her feet on the ground. Her burns had long since healed well enough for her to be able to sense people's positions on the ground again but she had not informed Katara of that. Instead, the earthbender decided to use Katara's ignorance to her advantage.

"You know, Suki," Toph said as loudly as she could, "it really sucks that I can't see too much with my feet nowadays. They haven't healed completely so I can't really tell when someone is walking nearby or not."

Of course, no one else could sense if Toph was lying and the earthbender's grin only widened when she felt Katara hesitate as she walked towards them. But the waterbender would soon be approaching them again so they needed to lay down the trap as quickly as they could.

They knew that they had their work cut out for them. It would be a lot more challenging to convince Katara than it had been for Zuko.

"And I happen to have a scoop on Sugar Queen," Toph said slyly.

"Really Toph?," Suki said in an intentionally loud voice, "Do you think she's anywhere near us right now?"

And of course, Toph knew that Katara was just within earshot. The earthbender also sensed that Katara had stiffened and was more alert than ever. And, Toph noted with glee, the waterbender was making no move to approach them. Everything was going well according to plan.

"Well, I know that she's been practicing her waterbending since early this morning," Toph commented, "and knowing her, she'll probably keep at it until much much later so I think we're safe."

"Good," Suki said in a mischievous tone, and Toph bent to mock-whisper in Suki's ear. Somewhere nearby, Katara was leaning forward, trying to hear.

"MONKEYFEATHERS!" the Kyoshi Warrior cried with an exaggerated gasp of incredulity, "Zuko's in love with Katara!!!?!?!?"

"Shhh," Toph warned, raising a finger to her lips, "not so loud!"

But both of them heard a not-so-quiet gasp of incredulity coming from a part of the temple. They looked at each other with complicity. The trap had been set.

"Wait," Toph said, acting alert, "did you hear that?"

Katara gulped with nervousness from where she stood behind a pillar and to hopefully throw them off, she tried (rather pathetically) to mimic the sounds of a bird chirping.

Both Suki and Toph were trying to suppress their laughter and for the most part, they were able to succeed more than Katara. They pretended to be clueless and dismissed the sound for that of birds. Katara sighed with relief.

"Anyway, Toph," Suki continued, "do tell me all about this amazing development! It seems so incredible!"

"Well, you better believe it!" Toph announced, "my senses of observation are not so impaired for me to miss the way his heart beats whenever she's around."

"You know, it might not be so far-fetched at all," Suki conceded, "I remember hearing from Sokka before that Zuko had confessed that Katara's opinion of him mattered so much to him."

"It really does," Toph said, "and as far as I'm concerned, old Sparky has never lied to us yet. His actions are certainly transparent enough. He doesn't say much but he can be pretty obvious."

"But are you sure that he is really in love with her?" Suki asked, "and that it is not merely him being eager to win her trust, just like he was with the rest of us."

"Positive," Toph declared, "I have absolutely no doubt. There's more than just respect and admiration in his actions, believe me."

"How long has this been going on?" the Kyoshi Warrior inquired.

"Quite a while," Toph answered, "I had noticed it even when he first came here to join us. There must have been something between them in Ba Sing Se which affected him so much."

"And have you told her about it?" Suki asked anxiously.

"No way, Suki," Toph replied with feeling, "I don't want to cause another war!"

"What are you talking about? Don't you think Katara should know about it? Maybe they could come to some sort of understanding and I do believe that Zuko would be as deserving of her love as much as anyone else."

"Don't get me wrong, Suki. I'm not saying that he isn't deserving. I mean, he really has proven to a very trustworthy and dependable ally in the recent days. But think about it, I've never seen Katara as bitter with anyone else in the world but him. And I've been through rough times with Katara, believe me, but we only had some misunderstandings at the start, but we got through them. But with Zuko, she has been nothing but hostile and distrustful although even Aang has already forgiven him."

"I guess you're right," Suki replied with a sigh, "Katara's been friendly with everyone else but him. Even I had some grudges against Zuko at the start. He did burn down my village. But I've already gone past that, especially after what he did for us in the Boiling Rock. If he reveals his feelings to her, there's no telling how she would react."

"It's too bad," Toph added, "since Sparky has so many good qualities. He's a pretty good bender, his ideas aren't too crazy, and he's determined to be of as much help to us as he can. He sticks to his principles and is way more disciplined than Twinkletoes or Sokka. He and Katara have more in common than they both realize."

"And he isn't too bad looking, if I may just add," Suki said with a grin, "I have to watch myself, sometimes, or Sokka might get jealous. And there's no telling what hare-brained idea that guy can come up with when he senses competition."

This last remark caused the two girls to share some hearty laughter at the Water Tribe warrior's expense. Somewhere in the Western Air temple, Sokka was having a seemingly random coughing fit.

"Anyway, judging from Katara's behavior towards him," Toph concluded, "she'd probably turn him down, and in the harshest way possible. And for Zuko to be even graver than he already is, that is a very dark prospect. That's probably also why he's been so hesitant to confess to her about it."

"I guess you're probably right," Suki admitted, "he would be devastated if she reacted with animosity again. It's a sad situation but I guess there's no way around it."

They both sighed. Toph wiggled her toes on the ground and knew that Katara was still listening intently. The earthbender grinned and Suki took the hint.

"I think the best way to deal with this," Suki proposed, "is to simply advise Zuko to try and suppress his feelings. It's not going to be easy, but it's better than taking such a big risk of putting his heart on the line."

"I agree," Toph replied, "I feel really bad for old Sparky. And I hope that sometime soon Katara's going to realize how great a person he really is."

"True, it seems such a waste," Suki concluded with a sigh, "they'd make a pretty good couple if Katara would finally let go of her anger. Or at least, even a beautiful friendship."

"Yeah," Toph agreed, "I miss the old Katara. She was more fun."

They both paused, their conversation concluded and Suki waited patiently for Toph to give her the signal. The earthbender sensed that Katara was standing very still, carefully pondering all she had heard. Both Toph and Suki hoped that their little chat had the desired effect on their victim.

Then, Toph sensed that Katara was walking away from them and the earthbender grinned at her companion. A few minutes later, Hakoda and Sokka emerged from one side of the temple and Suki gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up.

--

Katara walked quickly away from where she had been eavesdropping, her head spinning, so full of all the things that she had heard. It seemed so incredible! And yet, she knew that Toph and Suki were speaking in earnest, and in ignorance of her presence nearby. So it must have all been true. But what a shocking truth!

She finally stopped walking once she reached a deserted area of the temple. She made sure that she was definitely alone before closing her eyes and leaning on one the walls, giving in to her complete and utter confusion. She placed a hand on her head as she struggled to make sense of it all. It was too much, all too much.

All this time, she thought frantically, all this time Zuko had been in love with her. Her shock overpowered all the ill feelings she had towards him. She breathed deeply and tried to consider all the implications and consequences. She had not forgotten who he was. He was still the prince of the Fire Nation (albeit now officially a traitor to his country), the son of the Fire Lord, the one who had chased Aang so relentlessly before, and, and…

… their ally now. She could no longer deny that. After all that he had done so far, his journey with Aang to the source of firebending, and the role he played in helping Sokka free Suki, Chit Sang, and her own father, she knew that his joining them could not be such an act. And yet, there was this nagging doubt that would not let her go, that made her continue to be so suspicious of him. After all, she had been the first person to trust him.

It was the memory of Ba Sing Se, of his betrayal. She had trusted him then, and truly believed that he was capable of good. But he had proven otherwise and she thought that she could never forgive him for that, for proving her wrong.

But now, after really proving his change of heart, and showing his determination to help Aang, she found it hard to face him without remembering that time in Ba Sing Se. Deep inside, she knew that he had truly changed but she had been so reluctant to accept it, so afraid that he might betray them again.

But if he had any intention of doing so, he had had ample opportunities. And yet, he remained loyal to them all.

She had to admit now that Zuko was truly a different person from the arrogant prince she knew before. He was humbler now, and kind. He was certainly not the monster she had imagined him to be, not the image of the enemy that she had taught herself to hate for so long.

And to discover that he had been in love with her, and remained so despite her harsh treatment of him!

Katara did not yet know how she felt about this, and about him. But she now finally understood all the strange looks he had been giving her recently. And she remembered, with regret, all the furious glares she had thrown back at him. He was constantly trying to prove himself to her but she was constantly rejecting his offers of friendship. She had been unrelentingly stubborn, and yet he bore with her attitude with a decency and civility that now she felt she really did not deserve.

As she looked back on the way had treated the repentant firebender in the past few weeks, she felt some twinges of remorse. She had been singularly hostile to him, taking every chance to ridicule, humiliate or to simply injure him in any way without raising Aang's ire.

But even Aang had accepted him and now treated him as a good friend, and even like an older brother. Even Sokka was on very good terms with him, and her father had some respect for him as well. She had been rather unfair to him, she finally conceded.

And all her previous justifications of her hatred now seemed so flimsy and exaggerated. There had been reasons enough and she had held on to them for as long as she could but all these arguments constructed in anger were quickly losing their power. And even as she tried to remind herself of all of the reasons why she should never trust him, she was also realizing that his recent actions had been breaking through the icy wall of her skepticism and suspicion.

Usually, she never really kept grudges against anyone. But in his case, she could not help but feel irrationally bitter and angry. Now that she thought more about it, she wasn't exactly sure why she had sustained so much animosity towards him when the time for that had long passed. It was now, more than ever, as they stood on the verge of ending the war, that she had to be in harmony with everyone, and therefore, with Zuko.

Perhaps she had taken what had happened in Ba Sing Se too personally. She had felt so betrayed and hurt by what he did, and she had believed herself, and herself alone, to be wronged by him then.

And yet for him to continue loving her despite the way she had treated him. She didn't understand. She was flattered, even grateful, but still confused about how to deal with this.

Katara could not help but agree with Toph and Suki's assessment of Zuko, despite her reluctance to admit this on previous occasions. He was strong and smart, to be sure, and had proven himself to be staunchly loyal. He was determined and honest, and he cared about bringing peace to the world. And he had even cared about them to the point of helping Aang and Sokka.

And, with a slight blush coming to her face that she could not control, he wasn't bad looking at all.

She had believed there was good in him and he had proven himself. Why was that so hard to accept? Why did she feel that he had hurt her personally back in Ba Sing Se?

She would have to drop her suspicion and paranoia sometime. But why was it so difficult? Why were these conflicts constantly haunting her? And why was everything concerning Zuko so maddening?

"_I miss the old Katara. She was more fun," _Toph had said earlier.

Katara frowned and clutched at her head. Looking back again on her behavior towards him, she felt very sorry. And she felt even more ashamed that the others had noticed that unpleasant change in her. She was becoming someone she didn't really want to be.

And as much as she wanted to blame Zuko for this, she knew that her attitude was her own fault. And sadly, she realized that maybe she was the one who wasn't deserving of such constant love.

Katara's eyes widened and she found herself trembling. The tumult of her feelings had not lessened despite the long time she had spent pondering them. Instead, she had become more confused than ever. Oh, how she wished that these things were easier to understand. But then, matters of the heart never are that simple.

She tried to consider how she felt towards him now that she discovered he loved her, and now that she was gradually beginning to drop her anger towards him. She was frightened by what she discovered from herself and she was unsure of how to handle her own feelings now. Could it be that she returned his?

It was unspeakable maddening.

--

Later that evening, Katara did not join the others for dinner. She sent a message saying that she had a splitting headache and that she preferred to go to bed early. The others expressed their concern over this but there were some mischievous and knowing glances were passed between the conspirators of this event.


	4. Chapter 4

**Just Some Water Tribe Ingenuity**

_Disclaimer: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is not mine. That is that._

_Note: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter or added this story to his/her alerts or favorites. I was quite overwhelmed by the reception and I'm very glad that people are still interested in the story. Here's the promised update (a lot faster than it took the last time). I hope you like it. Cheesiness and fluff ahoy (and additional disclaimer: I do not do good fluff so forgive me). Such scenarios were necessary evils given such a story._

_And yes, there are moments in the conversation where I find myself drifting to "Pride and Prejudice" land so you must forgive me. I simply cannot help it. There may be tinges of "Moulin Rouge" around here somewhere too._

_This story will not be as long as "Sojourn in Solitude" or "An Alliance of Traitors." I can easily say that there will only be one chapter after this. No spoilers beyond that. ___

_--_

There was no denying the change in the atmosphere of the Western Air Temple after the machinations of Hakoda and his co-conspirators. Their two clueless victims were dancing to the tune they had set very expertly although the progress in the Water Tribe Chief's plans still left much to be desired.

Much to Hakoda and the others' frustration, Zuko and Katara had still not taken any concrete steps to admitting their feelings for one another. It was clear that the "gossip" the others had spread had the desired effect on the victims but it also seemed that Zuko and Katara had followed the roles that Hakoda had specified. Each was now secretly suppressing his or her feelings for the other, afraid of being exposed.

The more Sokka and his father watched things unfold, the more impatient they became.

"Thos two really have more in common than they realized," Toph grumbled one day as she observed the tentative way Zuko and Katara talked to each other, "they're both so hesitant and afraid."

"You're absolutely right," Hakoda sighed in agreement, "while we've managed to get them to realize their feelings for each other, we've also made them even more uneasy with one another."

"They keep avoiding each other now," Haru added while rolling his eyes, "and their struggles are being manifested in other ways."

"Katara keeps to herself or to her room most of the time now," Suki observed, "and occasionally she complains of a headache."

"Maybe she keeps thinking too much," Sokka suggested sarcastically.

"And Zuko isn't much better, either," Chit Sang added, "he's been practicing his firebending like crazy these days. I would know. The kid's outdoing himself, channeling all his energy into his bending. One of these days he's going to hurt himself, you mark my words."

"What are we going to do about those two?" Hakoda said finally after an exasperated sigh.

"Well, for starters, it looks like they need more prodding," Sokka said after getting over some of the frustration, "so that's what we have to do."

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us again," Teo said while the Duke nodded timidly.

"Frustration aside," Toph commented with a grin, "this should be fun."

--

Unfortunately, the task turned out to be more frustrating than fun. In the numerous occasions that the conspirators had deliberately left Zuko and Katara alone together, no progress happened. Despite all their efforts, the two master benders still wouldn't take any steps to lessen their (and everyone else's for that matter) misery.

Even Aang had become reconciled to the idea that Katara was in love with Zuko and vice-versa. In observing the actions of his waterbending and firebending teachers, the young Avatar realized the depth of his own feelings for Katara was of a different kind. A wave of relief had passed over him when he finally understood what Katara meant to him, how she was a dearest friend, teacher, mother, sister. But he was now certain that his crush on her had developed not into something romantic but into the love that one bears for the dearest members of one's family. She meant so much to him, but no longer in the way that he had believed she did.

It came as a colossal relief to realize that he could finally take Guru Pathik's advice and let her go completely. And now, as he watched two of the dearest people to him struggle over their powerful but suppressed emotions, he wanted to help. Aang could see how much Katara and Zuko cared for one another but were afraid to admit.

So the Avatar too became more actively involved with Hakoda and his companions in their campaign to bring the two together. Aang also found that he quite enjoyed an endeavor that was not as serious as the destiny he was facing. While he was training extensively and mastering all four elements, he still did not want to dwell too much on the dramatic showdown that he was fated to have with the Fire Lord. That was why this matchmaking venture was a welcome distraction.

"Maybe restoring balance and harmony with my two dearest friends should be my first step to saving the world," Aang had shared to Toph during one of their "planning sessions". The earthbender had merely rolled her sightless eyes and punched him in the shoulder.

But then, even Aang was frustrated with the hesitation and reluctance of Zuko and Katara. The Avatar joined the others both in lamenting the silliness of their victims and in trying to give those two ample opportunities of confessing to each other.

One of the first instances had been when Katara had just "recovered" from that unexplainable illness she had had after hearing Suki and Toph's clandestine discussion.

Suki had asked Katara to get something while Sokka had asked Zuko to get something else, both of which could be found in only one area of the Western Air Temple. As the two benders came face to face, blushes spread over their faces and they looked away awkwardly. Nearby, behind pillars, atop balconies, acting as statues, the others lay in wait for the desired confession.

But alas, it was not to be. The only interaction between the two which they heard came in this short and mundane conversation:

"Well, um," Zuko had started tentatively while Katara looked away and then down at her feet.

"I hope you are feeling better," the firebender finally blurted out.

"I am, thank you," Katara muttered back. And after a few more awkward moments of silence, each muttered some mundane excuse before turning around and walking away.

Had they lingered a little longer in that part of the temple, Zuko and Katara might have heard a symphony of groans and palms hitting foreheads.

Several more attempts of this nature persisted but to no avail. Nothing seemed to work and even the Water Tribe "geniuses" were running out of ideas. They connived and conspired and planned until even Hakoda decided to put the scheme on hiatus. Sozin's comet was fast approaching and there was still much that needed to be done before then.

All of a sudden, everyone had to turn his or her attention to more serious matters. So while the Zuko-Katara project was not completely abandoned, it had to be temporarily set aside to make way for more important matters.

In a stroke of fateful irony, it was when Hakoda and his cohorts were not meddling that Zuko and Katara finally reached an understanding.

--

Katara had wandered off into the woods near the temple in search of a rare herb that she wanted to use to brew a special healing serum she had learned from Yugoda. She had a little down time before dinner and after her training so she had decided to try and find this fabled herb. The potion Yugoda had described would surely come in handy to the others if there was no healer around to tend to their injuries and being Katara, she always wanted to take the necessary precautions and to be doubly prepared for any emergency.

About an hour had passed since she had entered the forest and she still saw no sign of the plant. But Katara was not easily discouraged so she plodded on, and in her enthusiasm, she quite lost track of time, and also of place. And yet, she had not even realized that she was lost because she suddenly became entranced by the wide variety of flora and fauna present in that forest.

During their travels across the Four Nations, Katara had already seen more than she could have ever imagined. Her world had extended greatly from the confines of the Southern Water Tribe and her experiences had taught her much. And yet, despite all she had already seen, she still never lost that inherent wonder at all things new and exciting. Being overpowered by her curiosity and marvel, she allowed herself to temporarily forget the grim duties that awaited her back at the temple. Doing the dishes was not a pleasant enterprise, even for the master waterbender.

So she continued exploring the forest, ignoring the chilly wind and deepening darkness that was settling over the trees.

--

Meanwhile, Zuko had gone into the woods in search of Katara, out of extreme concern. When he had asked about her from the Duke, the young boy had replied that Katara had gone to the nearby woods. For some inexplicable reason, this answer had caused a pang of worry and unease in the firebender which he masked with rather effective nonchalance. He had been through those woods before and knew of their dangers.

But he did not want to worry the others with an unquantifiable fear. And he knew that Katara was more than able to take care of herself. Nevertheless, the firebender had this nagging feeling that something might go wrong. And as the hours passed, he grew even more concerned but did not want to alert the others yet so he decided to go find her himself.

Later on, he was successfully able to track Katara to her current location without getting himself lost. He had not chased Aang around the world for nothing. In the process, of course, he had learned a thing or two about tracking people with or without a sniffy Shirshu.

But when he found her, safe and sound, content in observing the flowers and trees around her, he hesitated to approach her. With a sigh of relief, he realized that he had just been too paranoid about her. Katara was fine. There had been no need to worry.

Zuko relaxed as he quietly observed Katara from a short distance away. She looked so serene and contented. He did not want to break the seemingly divine trance she was in. And as he admired her figure then under the glow of moonlight, he knew that he had never loved her more than he loved her then.

But soon, his reverie was broken by a slight movement in the bushes near Katara. All at once, his sharpest instincts were activated and the firebender was on his guard, his golden eyes narrowed at the area where he had first detected some motion.

Unlike her secret companion, Katara remained in ignorant bliss of what was going on around her and continued to whimsically admire the shrubbery.

Zuko's eyes widened as out of the bushes just behind Katara emerged a slender, and scaly figure. The slithering creature was almost invisible because of camouflage, but Zuko was certain of what this small snake was capable of.

Much to his horror, he saw the tiny but deadly scorpion adder slither rapidly towards Katara's still and ignorant figure. Throwing all caution to the winds, Zuko made a quick dash for the snake and as soon as a startle Katara whirled around, she was only able to see Zuko grab the green adder by the head and cover the snake's mouth with his hands.

Katara cried out in surprise and whipped out some water and got into a defensive position. But all this was unnecessary. Zuko had already clamped his hand on the snake's head and crushed it between his fingers, killing the creature instantly.

Unfortunately, he had had to absorb the venom as well as the snake's fangs had still punctured his hand and allowed the poison to seep into his system. And scorpion adder's venom being as quick-acting as it was, almost immediately, Zuko felt the stabs of pain all over his body and he dropped to ground in a trembling heap.

"Zuko!" Katara cried with alarm as she ran towards the fallen firebender.

Everything had happened so quickly and as she tried to take it all in, the crushed snake, the long, lifeless scaly body tossed aside, the blood and venom scattered, and Zuko's pained figure. It was all she could do to keep her composure.

He raised a hand in protest as she neared him and motioned to the hand that had been bitten. Katara nodded in understanding and using her bending, she controlled the remainder of the venom, collecting it in a greenish blob and then threw the liquid as far away from them as possible. Having gotten rid of the danger, she knelt down beside the firebender and with teary eyes, she tried to extract the rest of the poison from his system. His hand was bleeding profusely even though the bite had not been too big. The sight of Zuko, bloodied and writhing in pain, was almost more than her heart could bear.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Katara muttered repeatedly and earnestly, as her shivering hands tried to do their work. Zuko's face wore an expression of extreme pain but even as he winced, he tried to reassure her that everything would be fine.

"I was such a fool," Katara continued to berate herself as the water glowed under her hands, "to let my mind wander like that, to put my guard down, to be so completely distracted. And now, you're paying the price. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh," Zuko managed to tell her, "don't worry about it. I'll be all right."

"You were bitten by one of the deadliest snakes in the world and you can still say that!" Katara cried out emotionally.

"Well," Zuko whispered, "I don't think getting overly agitated is going to improve the situation much."

Katara's eyes widened and she continued the healing process, ashamed of her own messy emotional state.

"I was kidding," Zuko offered with a weak smile, which only caused Katara to sob louder. Zuko sighed. He really wasn't good at this.

"I'm sorry, you saved my life, and I'm not doing a very good job of saving yours," she muttered remorsefully.

"Katara," Zuko said, looking at her earnestly, "you owe me nothing."

"But--"

"Katara," the firebender cut her off, trying to add some humor to the tense situation, "don't worry. I've been through worse than this in the past few years. I'm pretty sure I'll make it."

"Oh, Zuko."

The waterbender gave a small smile although tears continued to stream down her face. Fortunately, since she had acted so fast on the wound, almost all of the poison was out now and Zuko's condition was becoming stable. He was not out of danger yet, however, and Katara persevered in her bending.

"I'm so sorry for intruding," Zuko apologized, "I cannot offer any excuse for my following you except the pathetic one of being worried for no reason."

"But as you can see," Katara replied with a grateful smile, "your concern has spared my life. I didn't even sense that snake coming, I was so distracted. Thank you so much, thank you."

"I would gladly risk my life for you, Katara," Zuko replied earnestly, his injury and near-death experience giving him more courage than anything else. He looked at her earnestly.

Katara's eyes widened and for a few moments could say nothing, so overwhelmed was she with emotion. Her face turned red and she found herself for a few moments quite speechless.

"After the abominable way I've treated you," Katara said after recovering from what Zuko had just announced, "I'm so sorry…"

"The way you treated me," Zuko replied as his breathing slowed down and the pain subsided slowly, "was nothing I did not deserve. And it is I who must be asking for your forgiveness."

Katara shook her head violently at this. The healing process was nearly over (in more ways than one) but she continued to clasp both of her hands around Zuko's, as if incapable of letting go. Still wracking her brain for something to say, she merely returned his gaze, this time, as tearless as she could. Katara did not want to look like a colossal blubbering mess, not at this moment.

Zuko was breathing more steadily now but his heart continued pounding, from a different kind of adrenaline rush this time. His momentary courage had faltered under the intensity of her ocean-blue eyes and cliché though it may sound, he felt himself drowning in them.

A gentle breeze blew through the trees and the silence of that night was only accented by the rustling of the leaves. Peace now reigned in that small clearing and the atmosphere was both healing and calming. Daring to look each other in the eye for the first time ever since they both discovered their own feelings for one another, Zuko and Katara instantly knew that this was the point of no return.

Hesitation and uncertainty must end here. No more avoiding the issue, or side-stepping the emotions. It was here and now that nothing must be left unspoken.

Zuko was well out of danger but neither of them had changed their positions yet. He was still lying on the ground with Katara kneeling down beside him, her hands clasping his. This time, the glowing water had been already returned to the gourd at her side and she merely held his hands, feeling their warmth in her cold palms.

They both knew that the revelations that would come as soon as one of them opened his or her mouth would be momentous so they braced themselves. Despite all the annoying delays of this confession, such a thing could not be rushed and in spite of that magical atmosphere, there was still the most fleeting moment of doubt.

But it passed quickly, obliterated by the light squeeze of Zuko's hand on Katara's. With his free hand, the firebender nervously but determinedly reached out and wiped the tears from her face. Katara closed her eyes at the contact and allowed Zuko's hand to linger for a moment on her cheek before she looked at him.

"I had forgiven you a long time ago," she whispered, both of them knowing that there was so much more to that, "and now, things are different."

"I know," Zuko replied, "everything has changed."

Gently, he eased himself up until he was sitting facing her, and then he took both of her hands in his, his eyes still focused on her. Katara's own eyes were glistening and she was almost giddy with anticipation about what was to come next.

"Katara," the firebender said decisively and earnestly, "you must know, you _must _know, that there is no one in the world I love as well as you."

"Zuko, I," Katara began breathlessly, her eyes glistening. But before she could say another word, she was pulled into a tight embrace by the firebender. She returned the gesture eagerly, and now both of them had tears in their eyes.

"I love you, Zuko" Katara whispered in his ear as she held on tight, and buried her face in his shoulder, "all this time I've loved you so very dearly."

He pulled back slightly from the embrace, then took her tear-streaked face in his hands and brought closer to his. As their lips touched, she flung her arms around his neck and held on tight, savoring the sheer bliss of that amazing moment of release and revelation. Nothing else seemed to matter beyond their little universe.

Then, the dam burst forth. And all the feelings they had kept so well trapped and locked up now began to pour out. For the next several minutes all they could do was hold each other while spewing out everything they had wanted to say to each other for so long. The words came out, mostly incoherently, but most sincerely.

Both benders were now shaking as they held on to each other, simultaneously laughing and crying, and simply exulting in the wonderment and ecstasy of their revelations.

Relief, joy, love, and a host of other positive emotions washed over them as they finally let themselves express their true feelings.

"I've been such an idiot," Zuko blurted out as he temporarily let Katara go to look at her, his hands still on her shoulders, "I don't know what has been holding me back for so long."

Katara laughed lightly, a pure, easy laugh that made Zuko's heart leap. They could be free and open with one another now. The walls of doubt and fear had been torn down. And this new feeling, so rapturous and wonderful, was making them glow without their knowing it.

"I'm the one who should feel foolish," the waterbender replied, "the way I've been denying this even to myself, allowing myself to be blinded by my irrational anger. All this time I knew, but I did nothing but pick fights with you."

Everything seemed so funny and ridiculous now that they both looked back on the past. Dwelling on these memories had been their fatal mistake and now they both knew better.

"I wasted so much time," Zuko lamented even as he smiled at the one he loved, "I had never been so nervous in my entire life. I had been convinced that you hated me."

"Oh, but you could not have known how I truly felt," Katara replied emotionally, "I hadn't known it myself. But I know my heart now, and I'm surer of this than anything I've ever known."

"I love you, Katara," Zuko repeated, "I love you. Why had that been so difficult to say?"

Katara beamed back at him and relished at the sound of those words, words she had been longing to hear, and longing to say. They repeated these words to each other and the feeling of hearing them never lost its magic.

The waterbender gently placed her hand on Zuko's face, lightly caressing his scar, just like she had done not so long ago in the crystal catacombs of Ba Sing Se. But the bitter memories of that day had already been washed away, the sins atoned for. Everything was being born anew.

There was no need for the magical properties of the Spirit Oasis water. No, the healing that was taking place was so much better than anything the ancient spirits could conjure up.

Zuko closed his eyes at her touch, just like he had done then, and he felt himself being purged of all his pain. This time, he knew what he wanted, and he was perfectly content. No longer in conflict, no longer plagued by moral turmoil. Here and now was what mattered, this was his home.

All the pain and suffering he had endured in his life, all the rejection and failure, were now ebbing away from him. He had stumbled and wandered aimlessly for a time but now he had found the right path, and he was ready to fulfill his destiny.

And he was no longer alone in his journey.

_Never_, the firebender thought, _have I been this happy in my entire life._

They both silently swore to keep the memory of that precious night locked away in their hearts forever, pure and untainted.

--

Later on, as the two new lovers were making their way back to the Western Air Temple, they spoke of many things. Hand in hand, with Zuko igniting a fire in his other hand to light their way, they talked openly and easily with one another, enjoying the company they had avoided because of so much stupid doubt and hesitation.

"Toph had said that I had changed so much recently," Katara confessed, "and when I heard that, I realized that I was turning into a person I really did not want to be. And then, I saw how much I had been holding back because of my stupid pride."

"But I was blind to your struggles," Zuko answered, "but I soon realized that I had to make myself more deserving of you."

"Suki and Toph will be so happy when we tell them the news," Katara said excitedly, "happy and surprised, I'm sure. They had believed this to be a one-sided affair."

"Really?" Zuko asked with a tone of suspicion, his eyes narrowing, "and I suppose your brother and your father had no inkling about the true state of things, either."

"Sokka and Dad? Why would they have anything to do with us?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically. Zuko gave her a knowing glance.

Suddenly, they stopped walking and looked at each other with wide eyes, the same realization dawning upon them simultaneously.

Then, having recovered from the initial shock, both Zuko and Katara narrowed their eyes conspiratorially and smiled with mischievous intent


	5. Chapter 5

**Just Some Water Tribe Ingenuity**

_Disclaimer: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is not mine. That is that._

_Note: And here you are, everyone, the final chapter. Duly delivered on Valentine's Day. I hope you aren't bored with the smorgasbord of crazy events I detailed here. It took me a while to come up with some of them and I hope at least one of the pranks gives you reason to chuckle. Enjoy. Please read on after the end for all my excited thank you's and announcements._

_--_

Hakoda of the Water Tribe was a very puzzled man.

Just when everything seemed to go according to his plans, the tables were inadvertently and utterly turned on him and his cohorts. All their hard work seemed to have gone down the drain. Not only had things seemed to go back to normal, no, it was worse than that, much worse. Now circumstances were almost as if Zuko and Katara cared nothing for the other. The previous hostility had not been renewed but it was worse now. Now, it seemed like they were completely indifferent to one another.

Hakoda and the others watched these proceedings with increasing astonishment. The two benders in question treated each other with the necessary civilities and they no longer quarreled as often as they used to. There was nothing to indicate any particular attachment or partiality on either part. And the strange thing was, there was no more tension between the two. They acted as cool and indifferent to each other as mere mutual acquaintances.

There was no more indication of the emotional developments which they had worked so hard to bring about just several days before. And everyone else seemed at a loss to explain such preposterously puzzling circumstances. They merely looked at each other in collective astonishment and shrugged their shoulders in resignation.

It had started on the evening that Katara had arrived late from the woods. She had looked grave and pensive then but assured her worried family and friends that she was quite all right, just slightly tired. She also apologized for having worried them and nonchalantly mentioned that she had been so engrossed in admiring the beauties of nature that she had quite lost track of time. This was slightly out of character for Katara but the others also realized that every now and then, the master waterbender needed some down time.

A little later, an exhausted-looking Zuko arrived from another side of the woods, looking even graver than usual. Again, he too dismissed all the expressions of concern for the others. No one knew what to make of his strange behavior and of the small wound he seemed to have on his hand. The firebender was nonchalant about the injury, saying that it was but a scratch and it would not kill him, anyway.

Katara had not seem the least bit concerned about him and he about her. It was as if the flames Hakoda and the others had been fanning vigorously was suddenly and irrevocable extinguished. There was nothing now, nothing at all.

--

But certain things soon happened which distracted the former conspirators from their inexplicable quandary.

What also added to the growing air of confusion in the Western Air Temple was the series of crazy events that many of the denizens experienced during their stay there. Certain items were getting lost, people were becoming more forgetful, and there were other peculiar things going about which no one could find logical explanations to. (Of course, Sokka would have his "brilliant" theories but none of them seemed to make any real sense, as usual).

At one point, the younger members of the group (and even the older ones though they would never admit it) began to believe that the place was haunted. There were strange echoes in the darkness, things going "bump" at night, dancing shadows, swirling mist, and other seeming evidences of the paranormal.

Being the bridge between the living and Spirit World, Aang was commissioned to further investigate these odd occurrences but try as he might, he could not divine the reason for the spooky things happening in the temple. The best advice the young airbender could give was to simply remain calm and keep the faith.

And yet, the curious incidents persisted. The people in the temple began to look at one another suspiciously and then, they speculated further and wondered if Azula or some other Fire Nation people had finally found them out and were silently, secretly, cruelly torturing them somehow. But they all scanned the perimeter very meticulously and saw no sign of their enemies.

But some of these crazy incidents were more comical than frightening. They were funny, at least if they didn't happen to you. Otherwise, it was simply tragic and very, very frustrating.

"Are the spirits into practical jokes?" Sokka once complained to Aang after going through a weird steam fog as he explored a part of the woods in search of more meat. Appa, in an attempt to be kind, had flapped his tail, to airbend and dry Sokka off. The resulting crazy blown away hairdo that the Water Tribe boy then sported only made him feel more embarrassed and miserable.

The Avatar tried his best to suppress his laughter at the sight of Sokka who looked like a Swamp Bender. The others were not so kind and Sokka was far from pleased.

Later on, Haru found that all the earth he tried bending turned into mud. Try as he might, the element kept inadvertently getting moist, soft, and not really fit for a battle, unless it was to dirty one's enemy exceedingly.

Toph simply laughed at him but also found that the earth was not as hard and dry as it used to be. And the Blind Bandit hated not being in control.

Sometimes, these mysterious pranks would happen to many people simultaneously that when they met each other in the hallway, each person looking messier and more in disarray that the next, they no longer laughed at each other's expense. They merely sighed in strange resignation to their curious fates.

No one was spared as the puzzling pranks (which became more and more ridiculous as they went on) continued, leaving chaos in their wakes. One way or another, the Western Air Temple was losing the aura of peace and serenity. The current inhabitants were far too agitated to maintain such a detached atmosphere.

And as Aang would sometimes step back to take a look at the madness around him, he wondered with a slight sense of dejection how he would restore balance to such a wacky world.

"Why does everything have to go wrong just when we're approaching our mos important fight?" Sokka bewailed loudly once, raising his hands to the heavens in vehement protest.

And of course, Sokka's luck being what it is, it began to rain. And he was in full armor.

"Yes," he said saracastically, "the Universe so loves me."

--

"Can't you do something about this humidity, Katara?" Sokka complained to his already annoyed older sister.

"Give me a break, Sokka," Katara retorted, "I'm a waterbender, not a weather-bender. And since when has a little change in temperature made you this jumpy."

"Since the humidity only affects me!" Sokka cried in outrage, stomping away, sticky with sweat, and fuming.

Sometimes the effects of these weird pranks were not physically felt, but nevertheless, still caused much anxiety on all those directly affected.

There were scenes similar to the following:

"Why are you wearing my clothes?" Suki asked, raising her eyebrow skeptically as she looked at the embarrassed figures of Haru and the Duke.

"Sorry, someone stole ours," was all the younger boy could answer. Haru was too ashamed to speak. Suffice to say the Kyoshi Warrior's wardrobe did not suit him.

Several similar instances occurred in which one person thought he or she heard another one tell him to do something, which did not really happen.

"But I am absolutely certain I heard you ask me to put chili powder in your soup!" Teo insisted.

"Did dou dee me day dat?" Sokka managed to protest as he washed his red tongue down.

"No, but," the younger boy tried to argue, however, he was abruptly cut off.

"Den, DOH!" the enraged Water Tribe warrior yelled while the others tried their best to suppress their smiles and giggles. And yet, despite his comic embarrassment, the others still felt both shame and fear. Everyone of them had this nagging feeling that the universe was going to get to them too.

There was another time when Suki found too found herself lost in a strange fog. And as she tried to cut through it with some of her bladed weapons, she realized exactly how thick the fog was.

While such strange conditions were ideal for hiding from the enemies, the fog was also annoyingly inconvenient. As the Kyoshi Warrior slashed her way through, she bumped into Teo on his wheelchair.

The son of the Mechanist was relieved to see her and said that he had been wandering around the fog in the temple for quite some time now.

"I've tried to isolate the source of this mysterious mist," Teo told Suki as they somehow made their way back to the main living quarters of the temple, "and it seems that it isn't exactly a naturally occurring atmospheric condition, not now, at least."

"You mean it's man-made?" Suki asked with interest at the development of the theories about the suspicious events. As much as she was fond of Sokka, she did not always agree with his fantastical and sometimes highly superstitious explanations for all that was going on.

"I think so," the young boy replied, "the appearance of the weather just doesn't seem to jive with the other general atmospheric conditions. It's the heart of summer and we never had fog this thick even up in the Northern Air Temple in autumn. This is definitely someone's doing."

"But maybe the coming of Sozin's comet has upset the natural balance somehow," Suki suggested, although she was not fully convinced of her own argument.

"That's possible," Teo conceded, "but I doubt that these are the real manifestations."

They continued discussing the matter amongst themselves and as soon as they reached the others, they shared their observations. Most agreed that the weird mist was probably man-made.

Katara however declared that she did not know how such a thing could be managed with waterbending. They speculated that only an airbender could affect such change and they all felt pretty certain that Aang was not behind any of this.

"What if the spirits of your ancestors still haunt these halls?" Sokka asked the Avatar with wide-eyed unease.

"I doubt it, Sokka," the Avatar replied, "I haven't sense their presence here at all. Besides, such things as those happening lately are too petty and trivial to be the act of the respected Air Nomads."

"In short, you'd better stop being afraid of ghosts, Sokka," Toph explained wryly.

"Hey," Sokka protested, "I was merely showing concern and respect for the revered departed."

"Suuuuuure," the blind earthbender replied sarcastically as Sokka pouted in response.

--

By far the most ridiculous event that happened was when the floor of the temple acquired an intense heat. It became such that one seemed to be walking on burning coals, and all those who sensed the drastic change in temperature traveled around the temple as if they were dancing very fast, their feet only quickly touching the ground only for them to jump at the sensation of heat.

Of the group, Teo and the element benders were the least affected. The Mechanist's son, at least, was not walking on the ground and though he felt a slight heating, his feet had no contact with the red-hot stones of the temple.

The earthbenders, naturally, soon overcame the problem by bending cool mounds of earth on which they could step with ease and convenience.

Katara was able to help by cooling the ground with her waterbending. And Aang, naturally, only had to create an air ball under him and he no longer needed to tread upon the strangely hot ground.

And as for Zuko and Chit Sang, they were unaffected by the heat and they could bear to stand on the heated ground without so much as flinching. Their nonchalance sometimes frustrated the non-benders.

"How can you stand this heat?" Sokka complained to the two Fire Nation boys once, while the Water Tribe Warrior kept lifting his feet quickly and awkwardly.

Zuko and Chit Sang looked at one another and shrugged.

"We're used to it," they replied.

"But can't you do anything about it?" Suki asked.

"We've tried," Chit Sang replied, "but I never learned any firebending techniques for regulating temperature. Sorry."

Zuko merely nodded in silent agreement.

While jumping up and down (as if in a frenzied dance), Sokka, Suki, and Hakoda glared at the benders who merely shrugged at their predicament. The benders were all being helpful, of course, but this only increased the embarrassment the non-benders felt about their helplessness. For a time, footwear had to be reinforced – a lot.

But fortunately for all of them, the weird heating of the floors soon ceased and all went back to normal.

Even better, the peculiar situations seemed to have stopped altogether and once again, the inhabitants of the Western Air Temple could focus on training and preparing for the arrival of Sozin's Comet. After a while, all these mysteries and their reasons were set aside.

Little did they know, that the instigators of the odd occurrences still had one final trick up their sleeves.

--

The call came during the dead of the night when everyone was sound asleep. The past few days had been serene and uneventful, much to everyone's relief and things were working out quite well.

But they were growing anxious however, since the day of the comet was truly fast approaching. It was curious that up until that time Ozai or Azula had not yet sent any troops to attack them when clearly the Western Air Temple would be one of the places suspected as their hiding place.

They had discussed things amongst themselves and some had hypothesized that perhaps the Fire Lord did not consider the Avatar's being at large as any significant threat to him. All the better if he underestimated Aang.

But they could never be too complacent. They decided to set up watch in shifts during the night, just to be extra careful.

And it was during Zuko's shift that the call came.

The firebender began approaching all the slumbering people in the temple, warning them not to make too much noise as they woke up. But when they saw the grave expression on his face, they immediately were on the alert.

"They're coming," was all he whispered to every one he roused, "move as silently as you can."

So they did, and in a matter of minutes, everyone was in full gear for a battle, and they gathered around Hakoda and Sokka to wait for instructions.

"What exactly are we to expect, Zuko?" Hakoda asked the young firebender.

"Azula's going to try a surprise attack," the Fire Prince replied, "to ambush us in our sleep. I could hear rustling in the surroundings and I could smell the sulphur from some weapons. They're in hiding now, but hopefully they don't know that we know."

"And let's keep it that way," Hakoda commented, "we'll use the element of surprise on them."

"Where do you think we should position ourselves?" Katara asked with concern.

"In the shadows," Sokka answered after some thought, "we'll use our knowledge of the architecture of the Western Air Temple to our advantage."

"Let's allow them to make the first move," Aang then suggested, "they won't be expecting any retaliation anyway."

"Do you think we'll have very long to wait?" Suki asked, as she prepared her weapons.

Zuko shook his head.

"I don't know," he replied with some regret, "what can be so scary about Azula is that she can be so unpredictable in battle, so cunning and wily. Our best course is would be to simply be ready for whatever comes."

"This is bound to be a relatively minor attack," Katara added, "because Azula thinks she's taking us by surprise. And she hopes to destroy us before Aang has a chance to face the Fire Lord."

"But we won't let that happen, will we?" Sokka asked them. They all nodded at him.

"Well then, let's go to our positions, and everyone, get ready for whatever comes," Hakoda told the group, after which they split up and found strategic positions behind pillars, statues, or near sources of their element.

Each fighter had his or her eyes narrowed and weapons at the ready. Teo and the Duke were in another part of the temple, ready to operate some weapon machines that they had invented for long-range fighting.

The surroundings of the Western Air Temple was still in the darkness, no other sound aside from the rustling of leaves to a light, chilly breeze and the occasional chirping of crickets. The only faint source of light was from the moon which was even obscured slightly by thick clouds.

The Avatar and his allies were as alert as they could be, the adrenalin of anticipation banishing any sleepiness or exhaustion. They only cared about defending themselves properly against whatever came for them that night.

--

After about two hours of lying in wait, their limbs were getting stiff and their eyes began to droop. The younger ones were struggling to keep awake and alert while the others began to do all sorts of things to distract themselves from the sleep which threatened to take over them.

And yet there had been no sign of their enemies. All was still. In a few hours, the sun would rise and they would have been on their guard for almost an entire night.

Sokka groaned.

"This was just like the time when Azula and those two other girls were chasing us," the Water Tribe Warrior complained.

"Shh, Sokka," Toph warned him, "your whining isn't helping."

"We've been resting a lot for the past few days, anyway," Aang reasoned calmly, "unlike that time. We can take them, don't worry."

"Yeah," Toph agreed with a smirk, "after all, now we're not only stronger, but this time, it's more than just three-on-three plus Sokka!"

Sokka bristled at this statement and glared resentfully at the grinning earthbender. He raised his sword, the one forged from space earth, and tried to show how much he had improved as a fighter. Chit Sang, from where he hid, snickered softly while Hakoda shook his head in amusement.

"Guys, let's try and be more serious," Haru suggested, getting slightly nervous.

"I agree," Suki added, "we're here to fight Azula and her cronies, not to fight amongst ourselves."

Toph raised her hands with an innocent smile. The short banter had temporarily woken everyone up and they were thankful for it.

But once again, they turned their attention back to the outside.

Hours passed, but nothing happened. And in spite of all their efforts to keep awake, sleep was bearing down on them.

One by one, the Avatar and his friends began to succumb to their exhaustion and drowsiness. Hard as they tried to stay awake, they did not succeed and the continuing silence and stillness of their surroundings seemed to convince them that there was no real danger.

Their situation wasn't helped by the natural noises of the night, the symphony of crickets and cicadas which seemed to be playing a lullaby to all of them.

"Maybe Zuko was just being paranoid," Sokka muttered to himself with a yawn.

"That guy has to relax sometimes," Haru agreed, yawning as well, and stretching his arms.

Yawning being a contagious action, soon everyone was doing it, while stretching their arms and sighing deeply. The air was so cool and soothing. Even the hard, stone floors of the Western Air Temple seemed as enticing as the softest cushions. Sleep was quite welcome, quite welcome, indeed.

So when the last of them had finally dropped off to a peaceful slumber, a contented smile on his face (this was Hakoda, of course, since Sokka had long been snoring and drooling, beyond waking up anytime soon), the shadows of three figures appeared.

And as they watched the sleeping figures of all those in the temple, these three people grinned with satisfaction.

--

"GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP, SLEEPY HEADS!!!!"

The greeting was loud, high-pitched and annoying, the best Katara could manage.

"Huh? What? Huh?" were the sounds heard from the surprised sleepers.

The others' eyes snapped open and instantly (but not very fluidly) they jumped up and went into fighting position.

Sokka got up so suddenly that he was quite disoriented and as he jumped to a defensive stance, he grabbed his long sword so fast that he hit himself on the head with the hilt.

Getting up again, he tried to grab the weapon properly, but unfortunately, pulled it up the wrong way.

After this hilarious episode of frenzied getting up, the others began to be more aware of their surroundings. The sun was shining brightly now and there were no enemies to be seen. It was just another beautiful day in the Western Air Temple.

The roused warriors looked at each other in puzzlement. Chit Sang yawned and scratched his head in confusion.

"Where's Azula? What happened to the ambush?" Suki voiced what everyone else was already thinking.

But there was no sign of their enemies, anywhere and the ineffable sense of dread has been washed away by the sound sleep they had all had.

"Had the call last night only been a dream?" each one of them thought. But as they looked at their companions who were in similar quandaries, they realized that the possibility of an identical and collective dream was very, very slim.

So what had really happened? Was there really no attack? Or had they all experienced some sort of mass hallucination?

It took them all a while to be properly oriented to their situation. But when they realized that they were out of danger, they also realized that they had been deceived somehow. And when they looked at the grinning, unconcerned figure of Zuko who, for once, seemed the least bit perturbed about the situation, accusatory glances were shot at him. But he smiled nevertheless.

"Azula was never near here, was she?" Suki asked, recovering first from the shock.

Zuko shook his head nonchalantly. And this response only enraged the others further. All at once, shouts and complaints bombarded the solitary firebender as even the peace-loving Avatar was showing his annoyance at being worked up for nothing. And yet, even after every accusation, Zuko remained surprisingly calm and unaffected.

And only when the yelling had finally stopped did Zuko speak.

"Are you finished talking now?" he asked the furious people calmly. They all glared at him fiercely but were too tired and shocked to add more insult to injury.

"Well then, we've learned a important lesson now, haven't we?" the firebender said in an annoyingly patronizing manner.

"What are you talking about?" Sokka protested.

"Let me see," Katara answered instead, and all eyes turned to the grinning waterbender, "I think I know."

They had not noticed that she did not seem the least bit angry about what had happened. In fact, she had been observing the proceedings with great amusement.

The others watched wide-eyed as the waterbending master walked up to Zuko with a smile and took his hand gingerly. She stood beside him and the firebender put an arm around her shoulder. The pair grinned at their astonished friends and family. Sokka's jaw had just reached the floor.

"You….," was all the dumbfounded brother managed to mutter.

"Now you know what it's like to have your feelings manipulated," Katara said accusingly and when the conspirators realized that they had just had a taste of their own medicine, they all began to laugh heartily.

Hakoda laughed the hardest and Chit Sang slapped his forehead in realization. The whole temple broke into hysterics.

When some of the laughter died down, Hakoda smiled. Despite the strange act of vengeance done by Zuko and Katara, Hakoda was still happy to see that he had gotten his desired result anyway. He gave significant glances at the others who smiled back.

Never mind that they had been dealt with pranks. Zuko and Katara had apparently already reached an understanding. And seeing the way the two benders now looked at each other, with no more doubt and hesitation, Hakoda was more than content.

"Wait a minute," Suki said after laughing, "this wasn't the only prank you pulled, was it?"

Katara and Zuko shook their heads.

"Last night was simply the biggest one," Zuko admitted.

"You mean," Sokka asked in horrified realization, pointing a trembling figure accusingly at the happy pair, "all the weird things that had been going on, the hot floor, the fog, .."

Katara and Zuko nodded guiltily.

"Yes, I can heat the floor," Zuko admitted, making Chit Sang laugh in surprise (and causing Sokka to glower at him.)

"And yes, I can make fog," Katara similarly conceded with a guilty smile.

"I knew it!" Teo was heard to exclaim after hearing this revelation.

"And you'd be surprised at how much better than me Katara is at impersonations," Zuko added with some pride.

Again, Sokka's jaw dropped to the ground and the Suki laid a hand on his shoulder with a sympathetic smile. The others simply began to shake their heads while smiling at the strange but satisfying turn of events.

"But Toph," Hakoda asked the blind earthbender, "you would have known they were lying right?"

The blind earthbender grinned mischievously.

"I did know," she replied matter-of-factly and Sokka's incredulous face turned to her.

Zuko and Katara shrugged their shoulders.

"We couldn't hide our intentions from Toph," Katara explained, "so we had to let her in on it."

"And you don't know just how much fun I had," Toph declared with a widening grin.

"Traitor," Sokka muttered but the others just laughed at him.

It had been a very interesting and funny adventure now that they looked back at all the pranks they had played on each other. The battle of wits that had now come to an end though, and they were ready for the more serious battle. Nevertheless, it had been fun and not boring at all. At least they had had some big laughs before all the serious work would begin.

And upon seeing the success of the matchmaking venture, everyone was convinced that as soon as Aang defeated the Fire Lord, many more celebrations would be in order. That was one sure thing and this thought gave them all more to look forward to.

"I have to say, Katara," Hakoda praised his daughter, "I feel quite proud of you right now. You two really had me fooled back then. Very impressive."

"Thanks, Dad, but you have to remember," Katara replied with a sweet smile, and raising her finger as if to point out a painfully obvious truth, "that you and Sokka aren't the only Water Tribe geniuses in our family."

-FIN-

_And now, the story is officially concluded. A huge thank you to all those who read, reviewed, faved, and alerted this humble piece of work, especially after the canon finale. Thank you for your continued support (and faith) in Zutara and in the Avatar fandom in general. Let us keep the interest and love for Avatar (regardless of shipping) alive for as long as we can! I am proud to be a true-blue, unrelenting, unflinching Avatard!_

_Here goes. (To those who have read my other completed, multi-chapter stories before, you know what's coming.) Let me just warn you that I have a weird fondness for really long author's notes at the end of my long stories. I am not forcing you to read through the whole thing, though. But I have a tendency of being profuse in expressing my gratitude and appreciation. So please bear with me._

_This story started out as a one-shot entry for Zutara Week (back in July 2008!) which grew and grew into a wacky story/tribute to "Much Ado about Nothing" and slightly to "Pride and Prejudice" with my own weird twist. I'm just glad that it didn't take a whole year for me to conclude this story. I'm sorry for leaving some of you hanging for several months! And thank you for your patience!_

_And the response from all of you has just been overwhelming and I didn't know you guys would like the story this much. Any criticism is more than welcome, as well, just try and be polite about expressing your opinion, please._

_I am not so boastful of my own skills that I believe that I make no mistakes. I simply try my best but you can all still give me advice and help me improve._

_This has been one of my shortest multi-chapter fan fiction stories ever and yet I am so glad that so many people enjoyed it. And thank you, thank you so much to all those who gave me wonderful feedback on the story. I hope it gave you some laughs or even some soft chuckles._

_I always like to give due and proper acknowledgment to all those who support me so here goes._

_(Sorry if I misspelled anyone's user name. It was not done intentionally.)_

_Thanks to all those who reviewed: Vercir, CuriousBabyVamp, hj, PhoenixWingz, AvatarAiris, no one knows, NorthernLights25, pink princess 16, Liooness, sway in the moonlight, lazyguy90, HarlequinJade, Luiz4200, xladykittx, Saucebender, ElfishScallywag, Fire-of-the-Sun, charizardag, gred18850, Lodur, Zuzu Fangirl, Dragon Jadefire, Kyasarin-Maarukeehii1, ViolotQ, Allyon Everstone, Kitkat, hoeoverbros, KikioHatake, blondegal, wickedsugarrush, Meep-la, LoveFaithHope, Brittany, merlyn1382, Twilarose, Ammy ShadowHowl, FredWeasleysGryffindor, BurningIce, Charmer1234, AngstyAcy, MoonClaimed, StarHarp, NaRuToGirl1327, xyzisme, Flashfight, tfobmv18, sokkantylee, quimbaya, lianneharmony, Neko4, Botan 3000, , Joseph Winchester-Haliwell, Mikee David, settingsunrisingmoon, ra, Shadow 1248, Xia Bubble Queen, gaspard-is-edward, and Desinere._

_And thank you in advance to all those who review this story later on. I will still greatly appreciate any feedback you have to give me in the future. I may not be able to include you in these lists but be assured that I am just as thankful to you as I am to these other wonderful readers._

_Thanks a lot to all those who made this their favorite story:_ Aipom4, Allyon Everstone, Anyminutenow, Aralys, CuriousBaby Vamp, HalfWit24, Hawkeye116, Joseph Winchester-Halliwell, KeNzEr24213, Knut Case, LINACK, Little Weasel Girl, Lodur, LoveFaithHope, Mikee David, NaRuToGiRl1327, NaomiAskikaga07, NaruSasuNaruLover, Neko4, NovaWolf, Rosalind Penderwick, Sailor Millenia, Saucebender, Soggy Muffins, Suseh, UNTensaZangetsu, charidazarg, cherryblossom1500, dearharuki, Dracula-key, hoeoverbros, kurokinshiro, mkabalt, quimbaya, rooch24, serrenna, , sokkantylee, tfobmv18, and, zukoxluver.

_Thank you so much to all those who put this on alert: Akierin, Allyon Everstone, Ammy ShadowHowl, AnimeOtakuBara, Aralys, Awapuhi, BlueGreenGrey, BobsRules, BornofFire, CastleAnthrax, Charmer1234, Child-of-Hell, CuriousBabyVamp, Desinere, Dragon Jadefire, ElfishScallywag, EvelynRose, Forsaken Angel 13, FredWeasleysGryffindor, GoldenVixen, HalfWit24, Hana Kiri, Handerra, IndianGoddessGirl, Joseph Winchester-Halliwell, KikioHatake, Kyasarin-Maarukeehii1, Lady Jayde Une, LasFay, Lucrezia6565, Luiz4200, MidnightWolfy, Mikee David, Mizz Grace Amazing, Mystical Moonstar, NaomiAskikaga07, NarutoXHinata, Neko4, Sabaku no Kitsune-chan, Saucebender, Sayuri-Jen, SoggyMuffins, Spellarated, SurvivalHorror, Tears of the Sky, Timeless Traveler, Trinix216, UNTensaZangetsu, XiaBubbleQueen, blonde-gal, cdfalcon, charizardag, chibi-Momiji724, , garythecat2, gred18850, jessicajason, lalaland81985, margaritanightly, merlyn1382,mkabalt, nightdrive23, phantompha0, pink princess 16, selene-v, sesshys1love, settingsunrisingmoon, , sweetgal983, tfobmv18,the black kitty, thexgreatxtriplexc, true self writer, twilight boyz are HOTT, vkikay, whatsername911, xyzisme, Kristoshi Warrior, and, zabani-chan. Fortunately for you, you won't be needing to wait for updates anymore. This story is officially concluded._

_And thanks for adding this to a C2 community for good stories in the Avatar fandom. I really appreciate that you think the story belongs there._

_And just to be perfectly clear, this story will definitely NOT have a sequel. I am thoroughly convinced that it is finished and the future of the characters may just as well be obvious. I have absolutely no intention of making any continuation of this story. After all, it was meant to be a one-shot and now it turned out quite long. But again, this is as far as I am going to go with the story. I really appreciate it if you like my writing but there is a danger of me becoming repetitive or unoriginal with the plot if I extend this story further. That is that. Thank you for understanding._

_Special thanks to all those (you know who you are) who have been reviewing my stories even long before this one and to those who "discovered" my other stories because they read this one. Thank you for your reviews to my other works and for showing such kind and generous appreciation for my efforts!_

_I might be taking a break from writing fan fiction because school work is strangling me at present and I would also like to focus on some original fiction writing. But I would be interested to know if you guys want to read specific things from me._

_I still have several Avatar fan fic stories planned (to see more specifics, please check my profile) and if you'd like to read more about one or two of them, please do not hesitate to let me know. The right amount of interest and encouragement might just prompt me to squeeze another story into my schedule._

_I can also take requests if I have the time or creative ideas for them but I suppose you'll all have to be patient. Every update will take a long time in coming. College is a most time-consuming affair. And to a certain extent, fan fiction writing also takes as much effort because I don't like to short-change you guys. I also want to avoid merging my writing styles in such a way that my fan fiction entries might seem like term papers or something. But I have a tendency to do that so feel free to check me if that happens._

_I'm afraid I've bored you with my long rants and raves. So I'm going to stop now. Nothing more remains to be said but thank you again to everyone for your support. Until the next story. ___


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